Three-dimensional (3D) printing is an additive manufacturing process in which two-dimensional cross-sectional layers of a product are sequentially deposited to create a three-dimensional final product shape. 3D printers have created a new generation of do-it-yourself (DIY) manufacturers and household users. These individuals are using low-cost 3D printers to create custom products that address unmet needs since the 3D printers make it economical to create highly unique or personalized products. Many affordable 3D printers in the consumer market mean that ordinary households can realistically own a 3D printer, exposing 3D printer use to novice hobbyists. The other advantages of 3D include abundant and economic material supply (thermoplastic polymers), relatively simple printing technology (XYZ with a heating head), and reasonable durability of the finished products.
Among 3D printing technologies, fused filament fabrication is the most common, especially for home use, because fused filament printers often come at a low price point. A stream of melted thermoplastic material is extruded from a nozzle/print head to create layers, with each layer bonding to the previous layer. The nozzle/print head operates under computer control, typically moving in two dimensions to deposit sequential layers with each layer being a two-dimensional segment of a three-dimensional product. A third direction may be used by the printing head as it moves to print a subsequent layer.
The printing materials used for fused filament fabrication are filaments of thermoplastic polymers, typically at a dimension of 1.75 mm for extrusion through a nozzle opening ranging from 0.15 to 0.8 mm. The most common thermoplastic polymers used are acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) and polylactic acid (PLA).
ABS has been a fundamental material for fused filament fabrication for many years. Measured by annual consumption, it is the most widely used material in fused filament 3D printers. The ABS material is an excellent choice for models, prototypes, patterns, tools and end-use parts since they are sufficiently resistant to heat, chemicals, and moisture. Printers able to process ABS plastics normally operate with a hot end (the heated part melting the plastic, before it is forced through the print nozzle) at a temperature around 210-250° C. ABS is generally available in white, black, red, blue yellow and green colors or transparent and has a matte appearance.
PLA is a biodegradable thermoplastic polymer created from plant sugars from crops such as tapioca, corn, and sugarcane. This makes PLA the most environmentally friendly solution in the domain of 3D printing, compared to all the other petrochemical-based plastics like ABS. PLA is used for example in medical suturing as well as surgical implants. PLA is tough, but a little brittle, once it has cooled down. Its temperature threshold is lower than the one of ABS, as PLA is normally extruded around 190° C.-220° C.
The extruded filament is deposited onto a printing bed. The printing bed may be a fixed or movable table that is capable of being heated. Typically, the printing bed is heated to a temperature just below the melting point of the extruded filament being deposited. This ensures that each deposited layer fuses with the previously-deposited layers and prevents warping or cracking of the product being deposited.
However, materials such as ABS and PLA require relatively high printing temperatures and relatively high printing bed temperatures due to their melting temperatures of approximately 210-240° C. and approximately 180-220° C., respectively. This can make the fused filament 3D printers expensive to operate in terms of power consumption. Also the high printing and printing bed temperatures required may be hazardous to novice hobbyists and children.
Due to the high temperatures involved with conventional 3D printing materials, there is a need in the art for improved 3D printing materials which have low printing temperatures so as to provide a safe environment to the users.